Ogundiran wins women’s 100m gold at National Trials

 ●Chukwuebuka shoots to record fifth title in shot put

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The women’s 100m final at the Commonwealth Games Trials produced fireworks on Monday at the Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex, Lagos, as USA-based Blessing Ogundiran sprinted to victory and claimed the Nigerian women’s 100m title.

Ogundiran powered through the finish line in an impressive 11.12 seconds (-0.5m/s) to emerge champion in a highly competitive race that showcased the depth of female sprinting talent in the country.

Hot on her heels was Miracle Ezechukwu, who delivered a career-best performance of 11.15 seconds to finish second. Her outstanding run not only earned her a podium finish but also saw her meet the benchmark required for the Ben Aghazu Excellence in Athletics Prize, a special initiative designed to reward and encourage outstanding performances by home-based athletes.

Olayinka Olajide another USA-based sprint Amazon completed the top three, stopping the clock in 11.28 seconds after another strong display.

After the race, Ogundiran said, “When I was at the start block, I was thinking of what my coach told me that I should just execute my race and not panic, and that was what I did.

“It was a tough time getting here after traveling for almost four days due to what happened in the US (storm) but I am grateful to God that I am going back with the title.”

In other events of the day, the performance of Ezechukwu drew particular attention as she became one of the latest beneficiaries of the vision of the initiator of the Excellence in Athletics Prize, Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) 2nd Vice President, Akuchukwu Aghazu, whose commitment to the development of home-based athletes continues to receive widespread commendation.

Aghazu praised the quality of competition and expressed delight at seeing athletes rise to the standards set by the initiative.

“This is exactly what the Excellence in Athletics Prize was created to achieve – to inspire our athletes to push beyond limits and believe in their abilities,” Aghazu said.

“Seeing Miracle Ezechukwu achieve the benchmark with a personal best performance is rewarding. It shows that when athletes are given motivation and a platform to compete, they respond positively.”

The AFN board member reiterated her commitment to supporting athletes training within Nigeria, describing them as the foundation of the country’s athletics future.

“Our home-based athletes are incredibly talented. They deserve recognition, encouragement and opportunities to excel. The Excellence in Athletics Prize is about celebrating hard work, dedication and excellence, and today’s performances have justified that vision.”

With the women’s 100m champion crowned, attention now shifts to the men’s event, where the men’s 100m final, with Favour Ashe, Chidera Ezeakor, Fakorede Adekalu, Tejiri Godwin and Enoch Adegoke, all through to the semifinal after winning their various heats on Monday.

The semifinal and final will be decided on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Olympian Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, threw 21.46 metres to win the shot put men for the record fifth time since he started competing for Nigeria while Oyesade Oyetayo won the Hammer throw with 65.07 metres.

In the 400m semifinals race for both women and men, some of the top athletes are already through to the final scheduled for the last day of the 3-day event with the likes of Patience Okon-George, IyanuOluwa Aderemi, who ran a new Personal Best of 51.86secs, Taiwo Kudoro, Faith Ezechukwu, Jecinter Lawrence, Becky Ebiyadi, already through to the final in the women’s event, while Emmanuel Ojeli, Sikiru Adeyemi, Victor Sampson, Samson Nathaniel, Victory Achakpoekri, Tyler Johnson all through to the final in the men’s event.

The last day of the event will see athletes competing in the final of the 200m for men and women, same as the 400m with the 100mh and 110m hurdles also taking centre stage.